After seeking a mentor to assist with the positioning of her company, Stacey saw her business attain goals and levels of success she didn’t think possible.

Background

Stacey Allward first
sought out business advice when she joined the Douglas College EI Entrepreneurship Program in 2011. At the time, she was looking for assistance for her business Accurate Book Keeping Solutions in the areas of sales and
marketing. As the program drew to a close, she decided that she wanted to
continue to build on her newly-gained knowledge.

Stacey was connected
with EMBERS a year later. At that point Stacey had 2 clients and was
earning enough to cover operational costs for her accounting consultancy and
make a fair wage.

Mentorship

Through EMBERS, Stacey was connected to a mentor, Debbie Palmer. Debbie coached her through the facets of sales and marketing for which she need
guidance. Stacey learned about operating costs, making a salary, and how both have an effect on the number of hours possible for her to work. Ultimately, Stacey was guided
through the process of creating an efficient, streamlined business. Together,
she and her mentor changed her billing, looked at the ‘type’ of client to
target, and even changed the look and feel of her business - right down to
creating a tagline.

Results and Success

Within 4 months of working with her mentor, Stacey won 4 new
clients and was able to bring on contractors to assist with the workload. “I
cannot explain my mentorship experience as none other than amazing,” Stacey
says. “I was lost in my business. I didn’t have the tools I needed to grow my
business. Since working with a mentor my business is now all referral-based.
I’ve been able to create a solid network and brand.”

Following the EMBERS Grow a Business Program, which is sponsored by Vancity, Stacey has continued to seek out mentors in a different
capacity. She works with a business coach and describes the approach as being
much more holistic. Stacey also has a network of mentors for personal growth and
business development.

When asked to sum up mentorship in 3 words,
Stacey summarized her experience as “A Great Benefit.”